The Cork --- An English Cut Publication Zero Issue | Page 44

In 2007, Anastassiades founded an eponymous label to manufacture and retail his own designs. Over several years he developed a portfolio of products distinguished by their individualistic and timeless qualities, including the Onyx light (2007), Mobile Chandeliers (2008) and Beauty Mirror (2010). A key moment in the designer’s crossover into the mainstream occurred in 2013, when Italian lighting brand Flos invited him to create a collection in his own distinctive style. The resulting IC Lights featured opal-glass spheres balanced on brass rods and were a huge hit, helping to demonstrate the mass appeal of Anastassiades’ work. “Many people were aware of what I was doing with my own brand but suddenly they saw the success of something on a more commercial scale,” he recalls. “The visibility of the product changed their perception of what it is that I do and they began knocking on my door for a change.” Anastassiades now looks for opportunities to collaborate with brands that will allow him to explore his own ideas, and he is quick to point out that designing for mass production needn’t mean a dilution of his long-held values. “It’s a challenge to work on projects with such different scales,” he adds. “It’s not about the money, it’s about creating successful products, and working with big companies makes it possible to reach a different audience and a bigger scale, which is great.” His collaborations with companies including Lobmeyr, Coedition and Verreum have yielded products that apply his signature aesthetic to a range of materials and product typologies. Since 1998, Studio Michael Anastassiades has operated out of its founder’s home near Waterloo station. Anastassiades converted the building into a chic, minimal residence and showroom that has regularly acted as a platform for experimenting with and displaying new products. Next year, he and his team of six will relocate to a larger space in Camden. Although Anastassiades is pleased that the increased workload has caused the studio to outgrow its current location, he is keen to ensure it doesn’t get much bigger. “For me, the idea of personal “I decided I didn’t want to corrupt myself with this involvement is very important,” he insists. “I’d like to remain small, even though I’m going to do more stuff in the future — I don’t want to create a monster.” Looking ahead, Anastassiades is confident he can continue to [way of working] and instead do interesting work whilst keeping the studio at a manageable size. I established a platform that with like-minded collaborators, he has achieved the level of creative would allow me the freedom dedicating time to what he does best. “I’m not a designer who is to create without having “I really believe in doing quality work and focusing on things where I to depend on anybody else ” Having patiently built his brand and developed strong relationships autonomy he always sought and is currently content to continue interested in putting my signature everywhere,” he points out. feel I can contribute something.” This means we can look forward to more furniture, lighting and products in his studio’s singular style, as well as further collaborations with a diverse range of clients, who are now lining up to knock on his door. For Anastassiades, patience has certainly paid off. ALYN GRIFFITHS IS PORT MAGAZINE’S DESIGN EDITOR 44 THE CORK THE CORK 45